NetHam: The Public Service Event Coordinator’s Third Hand wins Rep. Mark DeSaulnier’s (CA-11) 2020 Congressional App Challenge

When asked what inspired the creation of NetHam: The Public Service Event Coordinator’s Third Hand, the student said, “I experienced firsthand the complexity and convoluted ways of running an Amateur Radio net at local public service events, such as the Walnut Festival Twilight Parade, Mt Diablo Challenge Bike Ride, and Diablo Summit Stomp. To remove some of the tediousness of our Ham Radio volunteer’s tasks at these events, I created this app.” 

Over 6,500 students registered for the 2020 Congressional App Challenge. These students created and submitted 3,088 functioning apps, marking the end of an extremely successful Congressional App Challenge amid the COVID-19 pandemic. All told, 308 Members of Congress hosted Congressional App Challenges in their districts across 49 states, Puerto Rico, the Mariana Islands, and Washington, DC.

The CAC is an initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host competitions in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. The Internet Education Foundation provides the CAC with supplemental support. In the six years of the Congressional App Challenge, thousands of functional apps have been created by over 30,000 students, and participant demographics surpass all industry diversity metrics.